Why are we like we are?

From time to time I’ve said that every now and then I want to reflect upon various quotations that have piqued my curiosity and do it from a Christian world-view. (Currently every third column follows through on that intention.) At this point it may be helpful to say something about that term “world-view,” since it originated in another culture. World-view is the English equivalent of the German Weltanschauung (from Welt, world, and Anschauung, perception). The World English Dictionary defines Weltanschauung as "a comprehensive view or personal philosophy of human life and the universe." It is a way of looking at the totality of human existence here on planet earth. It is our perception of reality.
       When I say Christian world-view I am asserting that the Christian faith, based upon God's self-revelation in Scripture, has a specific way of looking at what is. For example, the bible teaches that God created the world and therefore we view it in a way that is different from the philosophical materialist who claims no knowledge of how matter came about, but is quite sure that nothing else exists apart from it. This is not an insignificant difference. The fact that a supernatural being exists carries the strong possibility that life here on earth carries a sense of obligation. If, on the other hand, what is, is simply a normal development in the material realm, then it would be hard to understand why I ought to do one thing instead of another. The Christian world-view holds very distinctly that a believer is under obligation to conform to the expectations of his Creator. On the other hand, if there is no creator, there is no one to please and people are free to do what they want to do.
       One of the areas that exhibit the superiority of the Christian world-view is social responsibility. Fifty some years ago President Johnson launched the war on poverty. Over $16 trillion has been spent and the percentage of the population living in poverty now is roughly the same. Why is that? The Christian world-view proposes care for the widow and orphan (James 1:27) and also says, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat" (2 Thess. 3:10). If everyone would take that seriously, our cultural landscape would change dramatically. The need for assistance would drop and the federal bankroll would flourish.
       Another area where world-view makes a difference is in ones understanding of the nature of man. Nothing explains the conflicting qualities of ego­ centricity and nobility as well as the Biblical teaching that man is made in the image of God (has certain qualities that reflect the nature of God) yet by a sinful choice to go it on his own (the fall in Eden) has allowed sin to control his actions. He will dive into the raging stream to save a child yet live out his days in self-centered concern for what is best for him.
       World-views are not provable. They lie outside reason's domain. But there are ways to convince the responsible person that some ways of thinking about life are better than others. For instance, the theologian/philosopher John Edward Carnell used to say that one set of presuppositions is preferable to another if they provide better answers to two questions: (1) are they are inwardly consistent, and (2) do they provide a better understanding of life as one experiences it. On that a basis, I am confident that the biblical approach to understanding mankind (specifically, why we do what we do) is far superior to all competing views.